The present invention concerns a new and improved apparatus for wet-treating, particularly for dyeing, a fabric in the form of a continuous circulating rope of cloth, wherein the rope of cloth is fed into a kier by introducing it by means of a treating liquid and is moved farther within the kier, and the treating liquid is circulated through outlets out of the kier and through inlets into the kier when feeding-in the rope of cloth by means of said liquid.
The apparatus comprises a kier for taking-up a considerable length of the rope of cloth; a feeding-in device for the introduction of the rope of cloth into the kier by means of the treating liquid; and a circulation pump for the liquid having its suction side fitted onto the kier and its pressure side fitted onto the feeding-in device.
In all heretofore known cases, the moving of the cloth farther within the kier is effected by means of the treating liquid circulating in the kier, and in which the cloth floats more or less completely immersed. After being removed from the liquid, the cloth is fed into an intensive processing section, at the end of which the cloth is again fed into the kier. The feeding-in of the cloth into the intensive processing section is effected by means of the liquid pumped out of the kier and into the intensive processing section. A considerable disadvantage of this prior art method of processing arises from the fact that the equipment for carrying out the processes require very high liquid ratios, so that there arises the further disadvantage of high energy consumption which is necessary for obtaining the possibly required high temperature of the treating liquid.
Devices of the type described above are also known in different constructional manifestations. Generally, these devices make use of a locomotive-kier or a similarly arranged kier, which is possibly equipped with interior installations. As a rule, these kiers are arranged horizontally and are not completely flooded with the treating liquid. Further, there is a feeding-in device mounted at one end of these kiers, which serves to feed the cloth into an intensive processing section, which is generally pipe-shaped, by means of the circulating treating liquid. This intensive processing section discharges into the other end of the kier. The circulation of the treating liquid is effected by means of a pump which is connected to the kier on one side and to the feeding-in device on the other side. Generally, the cloth in the kier is taken-up out of the treating liquid by a winch which leads the cloth to the feeding-in device. The latter often is a ring-nozzle feeding-in device emptying itself into the intensive processing section which is a pipe. For this purpose, the inlet opening of the pipe is usually enlarged into a funnel-shape, in order to enable the taking-up of the cloth running-off the winch. This funnel is surrounded by a ring-shaped chamber closed from the outside and into which discharges the pressure side of the pump and pumps in the treating liquid. The aforesaid ring-shaped chamber or room is connected to the inside of the pipe by continuous apertures or separate equivalent openings, so that the liquid entering the pipe from the ring-shaped chamber pulls the cloth into the pipe, whereafter the cloth together with the treating liquid floats away. A considerable disadvantage of these devices is their great capacity, which, in turn, requires extremely high liquid ratios.
Attempts have already been made to carry on development of such devices in order to improve the liquid ratios. In this respect it has particularly been proposed to make the kier L-shaped and to completely flood it, one strut or leg of the L-shape being horizontal whereas the other strut of the L-shape is essentially perpendicular. Consequently, a constructional size of the total device can be realized which, in connection with the complete flooding of the kier and the immersed floating of the cloth, permits obtaining improved liquid ratios. Nevertheless, this device also is still in no way satisfactory with respect to the liquid ratio.